We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Martha Gleason a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Martha, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
My voice journey began when I was ten years old. I was feeling the effects of some childhood trauma and disfunction in my family and was having difficulty falling asleep. So I developed a self soothing strategy. I would lay on my back in bed at night and visualize myself becoming Cher. I saw myself standing on a t-shaped platform, wearing a white satin halter dress, sparkly platform shoes, with long straight hair- except my hair was red hair, not black like Cher’s. I would literally see myself singing her songs and feeling so confident and free. After connecting with this confidence building visualization, I would fall asleep easily.
Cher’s brand of leaning into her differences, instead of hiding them, helped me to see that finding my voice would mean finding myself and embracing everything that made me unique.
It didn’t take me long to figure out that musical theater performance would be the secret sauce I needed to grow into my own voice power. I spent the majority of my time in high school singing in choir and performing in our Spring Musicals. I decided to apply to study Theater and Music at UCLA and was accepted. And that was the true beginning of finding my authentic voice.
Through UCLA’s rigorous training in singing, acting, and dancing, I found my way to performing on stage all year long. While I didn’t know it at the time, I was building a brand of confidence and authenticity that would stay with me through everything I’ve done in my life.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My life’s professional work is empowering women leaders to find their authentic voice. I bring a compassionate approach to my coaching while offering innovative solutions to complex problems. Coming from a lifetime of performance experience and over 20 years of coaching experience, I am uniquely positioned to serve professional women who are ready to grow their impact and lead more fulfilling lives.
Recently, I founded The Women’s Voice Network so that my women clients don’t have to go it along. Imagine a world where every woman in leadership not only finds her authentic voice, but also empowers others to find theirs.
Finding your authentic voice can feel challenging when you’re going it alone. This is especially true for my executive women clients who often are the only woman in the room and have so much at risk the higher they climb. The Women’s Voice Network offers a community of invaluable support where we learn from each other’s stories, break through barriers, and form lasting friendships.
If you’re curious to find out more about us, you can check us out here: https://www.marthagleasonvoice.com/wvn
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The first quality that has the biggest impact on your career is developing the confidence you need to be yourself. The minute you try to sound like someone else, look like someone else, or talk like someone else, you’re off track. Build a brand that is uniquely yours. Just like Cher has. That means understanding how to leverage your innate strengths during important interviews and knowing the three words you want others to use when speaking about you– especially when you’re not in the room.
The second quality is working from inspiration versus desperation. When making decisions, if it isn’t a “strong yes”, then it’s a no. Never take on a work project or new role just because you think you have to. Make sure you feel a sense of strong inspiration when taking on something new.
The third quality is how you measure true success. When I think of true success, I keep coming back to Maya Angelou’s wise words: “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.”
In the fast pace of our personal and professional lives, it’s easy to just focus on our own goals and success milestones. But true success really comes from the compassion we extend to others—the connections we nurture, the support we offer, and the kindness we show.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Collaboration is a cornerstone in my business. My most inspired work comes from working with organizations that empower women leaders. Whether it’s a women’s leadership group within a corporation, or an independent women’s organization, I’m always happy to lend a helping hand. Whenever women leaders build real relationships, grow authentic leadership, and find ways to extend kindness to others, we collectively rise to new heights.
Women’s voices matter. A lot. Let’s amplify them together!.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marthagleasonvoice.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthagleasonvoice/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
